The Fundamental Magical Element
Two Jamaican musicians are making a bold claim. They say they invented the now-ubiquitous reggaeton beat on a specific track in 1989. They're suing some of the genre's biggest stars for billions in ro...
3 Dec 202536min
A Very Special Thanksgiving Mailbag
It's Fandemonium! This week Dana, Zaron, and Jason respond to listener emails. They tell their Very Special origin stories, pick their favorite episodes, cast the movie version of the podcast, and pre...
26 Nov 202518min
The Dogs of Chernobyl
When Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of starving dogs were trapped inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. For years, Oregon-based veterinarian Dr. Jenn Betz had been their lifeline. Now, with Putin’s t...
19 Nov 202545min
The Grocery Store That Killed Communism
In 1989, Boris Yeltsin walked into a Houston supermarket, and walked out ready to end an empire. What he saw in Texas that day would shake the foundations of the Soviet Union. * On the Very Special Ep...
12 Nov 202543min
The Arctic Balloon
In 1897, a Swedish engineer set out to reach the North Pole ... by balloon. With two companions, a crate of champagne, and the faith of a nation, he rose into the Arctic fog — and vanished. Decades la...
5 Nov 202553min
Being Joe Isuzu
In the golden age of 1980s television, few faces were more familiar — or more dishonest — than Joe Isuzu’s. Actor David Leisure brought the fast-talking car salesman to life, turning a parody of adver...
29 Okt 202548min
A High School Brawl in the Panama Canal Zone
In the 1960s, there were 36,000 Americans living in the Canal Zone. They had Friday night high school football games, sock hops, and Hollywood movies at the local theater. It looked like a mid-century...
22 Okt 202557min
Introducing: Hoax! with Dana Schwartz and Lizzie Logan
Hi, Very Special Episodes listeners! We're hard at work on the next season of VSE, which lands October 22nd. In the meantime, did you know our own Dana Schwartz has a new podcast? Give it a listen! Ho...
27 Sep 20251min
